


In The Moonlight

by all_my_fictional_boyfriends



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hunger Games Setting, Character Death, F/M, I'll try not to be too graphic with the deaths but I put it in the warnings just in case, Slow To Update, Swearing, Will Byers Can't Catch a Break, Will Byers Needs a Hug, like a lot of it, the only actual HG characters are President Snow and Caeser Flickerman
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-04
Updated: 2018-04-15
Packaged: 2019-03-13 17:19:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13575294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/all_my_fictional_boyfriends/pseuds/all_my_fictional_boyfriends
Summary: Will Byers wanted one good year. Just one year. One year in which he could finally catch a break. But apparently, the Capitol has other plans. After getting reaped at only 14, this precious boy from District 10 is thrust into a new hell hole. However, this time he has no friends or family with him. When a girl from District 1 begins to show interest in allying with him, he decides that maybe, just maybe, he has a chance.OrThe Odds are never in Will Byers' favor.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time posting anything on AO3 and I'm not entirely sure if I did this correctly. I'm also pretty bad at ratings, so if I chose the wrong one, please tell me! 
> 
> I honestly just hope this story is somewhat okay.

_No no no no no no no._

This couldn’t be happening.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to work.

He only had three entries.

Three within thousands.

The brunette boy sent a panicked glance to his three friends, each of which sat beside him. Mike had paled considerably, Dustin’s eyes were wide, and Lucas already had tears in his eyes. On the other side of the crowd, Max and El had both let out small shrieks and were scanning the sea of people for him.

“William Byers,” the Capitol man, the name of which Will hadn’t bothered to learn, repeated. “Where are you?” Will slowly took a step forward, his eyes the size of saucers. Joyce let out a small sob as she watched her baby boy walk up. A shout of protest escaped Jonathon’s lips as Nancy buried her face in his shoulder. Steve ran his fingers through his (perfect) hair. Hopper wrapped an arm around Joyce.

Will hesitated to approach the stage. The man from the Capitol smiled broadly at him, waving his hand wildly in a gesture to come forth. When Will finally stood in the center of the stage, right next to Emara Fullice, the female tribute, Capitol man instructed them to shake hands. Emara gave Will’s hand a light squeeze in comfort of the situation.

“Happy Hunger Games,” Mr. Capitol stated. “And may the odds be ever in your favor.”

_The odds are never in my favor._

Inside the Hall of Justice, Will felt oddly relaxed. Perhaps that was the purpose of the fur couches, plush pillows, and pastel blue walls. There was a window just behind the couch, but no daylight shined through it. Instead, a layer of black velvet covered the glass. It was a strange arrangement, Will wasn’t sure why it was there. That was the only thing Will disliked about this chamber. The eerie darkness that consumed it. Well, that and how this room was basically screaming, “This is probably the last time you’ll ever see your district, so might as well look nice.”

Will’s thought process was interrupted by the small sob he heard behind him. He whirled around to see Joyce and Jonathan standing there.  
“Will!” Joyce cried, stepping forward to embrace her youngest son. Will returned the hug immediately. Jonathan quickly joined the two.  
“You’re gonna be alright,” Jonathan assured him. “You’ve handled the Upside Down and being possessed by the Mind Flayer. You can handle this.” Will found little comfort in his words. He hadn’t ‘handled’ the Upside Down or the Mind Flayer, and certainly not on his own. During his time in the Upside Down, he had never needed to kill someone. He only had to hide. Not to mention how he been close to death when Joyce and Hopper found him. And when he had been possessed, he at least had his friends and family to help him through it.

Both Joyce and Jonathan had tears in their eyes, but it was nothing compared to the puffy eyes and tear-stained cheeks of Will.  
“I love you so much,” Joyce reminded him.  
“I love you, too,” Will replied. Joyce's eyes widened and she quickly fumbled through her jacket pocket, pulling out a strange bracelet.

The bracelet had a simple metal band and strange colorful spikes poking out of it. Upon further inspection, Will realized that these spikes were the ends of his old crayons. He offered his mother a watery smile as he closed his fist around the odd jewelry and stepped forward for another hug.

The hug lasted only a moment, for peacekeepers were quickly ripping his mother and brother from the room. Will gave them one last wave, a final goodbye, as the door slammed shut.

Just a minute later, Will found himself in the company of his best friends. The six had a quick group hug, but otherwise remained positive, which was something Will appreciated. Mike rambled on about how awesome the campaign would be when he came back. Dustin talked about how as a Victor, he could have any girl he wanted, which would be amazing. Lucas begged Will not to come back wearing those ridiculous Capitol clothes. El demanded he bring back all the waffles he could find. Max insisted that when he came back, he would have to let her teach him how to skateboard.  
“No way,” Will replied. “There is no way you’re going to get me on that death trap.”  
“It’s not a death trap,” Max countered. “Not like-” The redhead girl stopped short, quickly looking down.

Not like this.

The unspoken words created a thick tension in the air, thick enough to cut through with a knife. Will fell silent, glancing away at the strange velvet-covered window. Everyone else glared at Max, who immediately winced. Will turned back to the group, offering them a weak smile. The group hugged once more, a little awkwardly, before they, too, were lead out by peacekeepers.

A few others visited him. Nancy, Steve, Hopper, Mr. Clarke, and a couple other people from around the district came by. The baker gave him a cupcake, too. However, the visit that surprised Will the most was most likely James and Troy’s.

The duo came by last. They didn’t stay long, either. They slipped into the room quietly before mumbling a few apologies at the ground. They said they were sorry for all the things they’ve done to make his life miserable and that they would leave his friends alone... until he came back. Will nodded once in thanks before Troy and James slipped back out.

As Will and Emara were lead to a fantastical train. In the main cart, where Will, Emara, and the Capitol dude now sat, there were two peach colored chairs, separated by a glass table, across from a baby blue couch. On the floor between them, a white fur rug decorated the dark wood beneath it. More tables were decorated with different statues and plants.  
“I told you it was beautiful,” Capitol stated. Will couldn’t remember him saying anything at all, but he supposed it was his own fault for not listening.  
“You did,” Emara agreed.  
“I’ll send some servants to take you to your living quarters. Today I’ve arranged for you to have some of your own freedom. You can do whatever you’d like, as long as you’re in the dining cart for dinner by 7:30. Tomorrow, you can speak with your mentors, but they’ll also be attending dinner tonight.”  
“Thank you, Mitch,” Emara said.

_So that’s his name._

Mitch smiled brightly, showing off his pearly white teeth, and exited the room, leaving Emara and Will alone. Emara rolled her eyes in exasperation, turning towards Will.  
“I want so desperately to hate him,” Emara sighed, shaking her head. “But he’s like a little kid. He’s obnoxious and bratty, but he’s so excitable and happy that it’s so hard to say ‘no.’” Will nodded quietly.

That evening, at dinner, Will felt terrible. His mouth watered at the sight of the heavenly buffet that lay before him, but every time he started to reach for a buttered roll, he was reminded of the starving people back in District 10. What would his friends think of him if they saw him greedily grabbing at whatever plate was placed in front of him?

So, instead of eating, Will opted to observe the people surrounding him, starting with Emara.

Emara seemed rather plain at first glance. Her light brown hair that fell to her waist was somewhat frizzy, but Will supposed she could just be having a bad hair day. Her skin was pale and her hands were callused, not exactly anything rare in their district. It was her eyes, however, that stood out. They were a glittering amber and held a blazing fire inside them, far more passionate than any warm glow, and a solid sense of purpose in every glance.

Mitch, true to the Capitol trends, was quite a sight. His wavy hair was dyed light purple, somewhere between lilac and lavender. His mint green eyes were rimmed with shimmering silver eyeliner and powdered with some type of sparkling white material. His skin was tan, a glowing bronze, and his arms were covered in glistening silver tattoos. A bright smile was plastered on his face at every moment.

Ethelia Hydrick, the female mentor and the most recent of the District 10 Victors, seemed rather carefree. She had won the Games only two years ago by using her wit to survive off of other tributes’ food and water and waiting for the others to slowly kill themselves off. Finally, at the end, her only opponent was so weak from his lack of resources that she had been able to easily kill him. Ethelia had voluminous black hair that was cut at her shoulder and bright brown eyes. Her lips, which seemed to reside in a permanent smirk, were painted a dark scarlet. She was tall and slender with chocolate skin, the perfect picture of elegance.

The male mentor, Hudson Thist, was rather different. He seemed tired, with dark bags under his eyes and any essence of light drained from his blue eyes. He won the game about 13 years ago, too long ago for Will to remember. However, Will did know the few facts about his strategy that he had been taught in school. Hudson had made false countless false alliances, and when his ‘ally’ had least expected it, stabbed them in the back. Hudson was pale and buff, most likely about three times the size of Will, and had dark red hair that framed his face. Hudson frowned deeply whenever he made eye contact with Will, though Will had no idea why his presence was so devastating.

Ethelia was the first to notice that Will wasn’t eating. She smiled at him, dumping a scoop of mashed potatoes onto his china plate.  
“Eat it,” she ordered. Will shook his head. “I’m your mentor, you basically have to do whatever I tell you. So eat.” Will hesitated, but succumbed to his hunger, and slowly raised the fork to his mouth. When he finished the forkful, he raised an eyebrow at Ethelia, as if to say, ‘Happy?’ Ethelia shook her head, staring at him sternly. Will sighed and allowed himself to finish the serving.

When the meal finished, the group of five went to a new room to watch each of the Reapings. This chamber was much darker, with crimson walls, dark wood floors, and black furniture.  
“What districts should we pay the most attention to?” Emara inquired before Mitch went to turn the television on.  
“1, 2, and 4 are your biggest worries,” Hudson shrugged. “But I would just look for the tributes that seem the strongest.” Ethelia shook her head.  
“No, pay attention to everyone. That way, you can estimate their skills and weakness based on size, strength, height, weight, and age,” Ethelia insisted. Emara nodded.

The first Reaping they showed came from District 1, obviously. The female tribute was originally a fifteen-year-old girl. Contrary to the whoops and cheers congratulating her, the girl seemed terrified. However, Will was surprised to see an even younger girl volunteer to take her place. But the surprise quickly faded when Will heard the girl introduce herself.  
“And your name, dear?” a woman from the Capitol asked.  
“Evermist Lucine.”  
“Lucine? As in, Cedar Lucine?”  
“Correct.”  
“Well, darling-”  
“Don’t call me ‘darling.’” There was a small pause, before the woman recovered.  
“Of course. Well, Evermist, I’m sure we can expect great things from you. Perhaps another Victor?”  
“Perhaps.”

“Pay attention to tributes like her,” Ethelia instructed. “No doubt she’s had extra training. I mean, we’re all aware that District 1 & 2 have training facilities for everyone, but she’s a Victor’s daughter. She’s going to be an extra challenge.”

Will tried to follow the rest of the Reapings. He really did. But he was entirely focused on the first Reaping. He wasn’t certain, but he thought he saw a flicker of uncertainty and hesitation and even a little fear flicker across Evermist’s face before she volunteered. He shook off the thought, though. This girl was the daughter of a Victor. She was practically made to be ruthless, merciless, and fearless.


	2. Chapter 2

Will tried not to be impressed, he really did, but something about the towering buildings and vibrant people really caught his attention. As the train slowed to a halt, Will observed what was outside the window. A sea of people surrounded the train platform, each person completely different from the next. Some had animalistic features, such as whiskers and tails, whereas others had decked themselves in diamonds. Some sported colorful feathers, some had at least three different colors in their hair. Some wore patterned and lunatic robes, others were draped in the finest clothes.

In all honesty, Will was beginning to feel a bit boring.

As Mitch lead the way to the Remake Center, Ethelia constantly reminded them that they had to appease their audience. So Will would smile and wave, and Emara would blow kisses, and they both silently begged for this to be over. 

In the Remake Center, the prep team scornfully observed Will. They criticized his hair, his skin tone, his lack of muscle. Will was offended, but he tried not to be. After all, he had endured much worse. They insulted him more than they prepped him. The preparations they did try to perform, however, were terrifying.

At one point, they attempted to tattoo a bright green skull onto his stomach.

Thankfully, he was saved by the bell.

Or, you know, the designer.

Pellitory Aldera was an incredibly tall woman, most likely above seven feet tall, with a headdress of different feathers rather than hair. Each feather was completely different. Some were spotted, some were pastel, some were dark, some were striped, some were metallic, some even sparkled. Her bright blue eyeliner was thick as it swirled past the length of a normal wing and up to make glittering designs on her forehead. Her lips were painted a basic white, but had several jewels glued to them. In what must have been some sort of fashion statement (though wasn't all of this a fashion statement?) her skin had been tinted to look similar to a sunset, orange towards her head and pink towards her feet. Her heels were large and loud, with one thin and pointy spike for a heel. 

Will just hoped he didn't resemble her by the end of this meeting.

"Such an honor, isn't it?' Pellitory exclaimed, her voice sounding like an odd solution of raspiness and high pitched shrieking. "To be chosen for the games, I mean. And you're so young! Not much to you, but no matter! Sponsors solve all!" Pellitory sounded so genuinely excited, but Will wasn't sure why. It wasn't like he was being sent to his death or anything.

_Oh. Right. She's from the Capitol._

"I guess," Will replied quietly, his eyes trained on the ground.  
"Right!" Pellitory chimed. "Let's get to it!"

* * *

 

There was no other way to put it:

Will looked absolutely ridiculous.

Coming from District 10, his district focused on livestock. Therefore, Pellitory had deemed it necessary for  _plenty_ of furs to be incorporated into the outfit. His hat was made of pure wool. In fact, it felt like a lamb had somehow made its way onto Will's head. His boots and pants were each made of cow leather, the white and black patterns adding an... interesting touch. He was horrified to know that his shirt had been made from goat skin, too.

Did he mention that he wore a bear rug around his shoulders?

'Cause he did.

He was also somewhat confused as to what a bear had to do with livestock.

But, of course, never argue with Pellitory. 

As if the outfit materials weren't enough, small depictions of animals had been thrown across the outfit. Embroidered pictures of chickens and pigs and horses and cows were sewn into his clothing, along with the sounds they made in bold red fonts.

And, to make matters worse, he had been asked to wear dog ears.

_The Party will have a field day with this._

* * *

Will had hoped that the other tributes would be wearing something at least close to the insanity of his outfit. However, even the District 12 tributes who had been stripped naked and slathered in coal dust looked better than he did.

Well, maybe Emara looked worse.

Afterall, she had nearly the same outfit, but in a dress form.

And, you know, cow utters.

Will's eyes were drawn towards the District 1 girl, Evermist Lucine. Her dress was not made of fabric, no, but of entirely diamonds and gems. She teetered as she walked in the heavy dress, her glass slippers doing nothing to help her. It also seemed as though the preparation team had decided her hair wasn't good enough, for her hair had been dyed blue with pink tips. She had taken on a more doll-like look in general, too, as her cheeks were painted with mass amounts of blush, her eyelashes were probably longer than Will's crayons at home, and her lips were coated in crimson.

Apparently, Evermist noticed Will's staring, for she too was now staring intently at the boy. Will's first instinct was to turn away, but her eyes were so captivating, so hypnotizing, that it was hard to believe this was a fourteen-year-old girl. 

However, starry eyes were nothing in comparison to the soft smile she sent his way.

Nothing could have prepared him for that smile. He had expected her to appear cold and manipulative, but her smile seemed to be warm and genuine. He smiled back and she blushed, causing her already pink cheeks to glow red, and she waved, wiggling her fingers in a greeting.

Emara gestured for Will to focus, they were about to get started, but once again, thoughts of this strange District 1 girl had conquered his brain.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, no real plot advancement this chapter. It's also not quite as as long as the first chapter, but I hope you still enjoy! I have a clear idea of what I want to happen, but I'm not too sure about how to get there. Because of that, I have to do a lot of planning before each chapter. Additionally, I have a lot of schoolwork as of right now and the school play is coming up, which means incredibly slow updates (if you haven't noticed).
> 
> Please leave me some feedback on how to improve!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During the training sessions, Will receives unlikely help from a certain District 1 tribute.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It only took me forever and a half to update! My apologies. I know I said in the tags that there would be slow updates, but I was honestly imagining once every couple weeks, not once in two months.

Hudson and Ethelia worked their hardest to ensure that Emara and Will succeeded in their training. Afterall, the pair's appearance at the opening ceremony had only made a negative impact on their reputation, if any at all. However, the mentors' plan didn't seem to be going as seamlessly as they had originally hoped.

Emara was doing just fine with her survival skills, she could easily distinguish edible foods from poisonous ones and name a dozen ways to retrieve water. However, her fighting skills were lacking. She looked confident, intimidating even, when she held a weapon, but it was a mere facade. She fumbled with spears, had an atrocious aim with bows, had almost killed herself three times in throwing knife accidents, couldn't grip daggers properly, and sure as hell couldn't wield a trident.  
"Shit," Emara muttered as she cut herself on yet another silver dagger. "I'm going to fucking die before the games even start!"  
"You're not that bad," Will attempted to comfort her. "I mean, I'm way worse."

That much was true. Will succeeded in neither survival nor fighting. Hell, he could just barely manage tieing the knots. He was certain he was going to die in the Bloodbath, but he tried his best to think of what he could do if he got out. The only skills he knew of that would benefit him here was his art for camouflage. Even then, he didn't use paint that often. He much preferred crayons and pencils, no matter how childish they may seem. Will supposed he could possibly use his hiding skills to his advantage, and perhaps the quick speed he'd developed during his constant running from the Demogorgon, Mind Flayer, and school bullies. It was also entirely possible to gain some knowledge from the experts at different skill stations.

Unfortunately for him, however, Will couldn't focus on what the experts told him.

It was completely understandable why he wouldn't be able to concentrate, though. Any fourteen-year-old boy would be at least somewhat distracted if he knew that the person he had turned his attention to was now intrigued by him.

Evermist watched him silently, her gaze sending prickles of heat down Will's spine. The experts seemed to be getting somewhat frustrated with her for not participating, but every time they mentioned it, she would show off her skills before returning her watchful eye to Will once more. Evermist's face remained somewhat thoughtful as she observed his every move. Her piercing eyes followed him everywhere.

That, of course, only made it more embarrassing for Will when he failed at a skill station, knowing someone's eyes were upon him.

"You're holding it wrong." The soft words, or perhaps it was the soft voice behind the words, caused Will to jump. He turned around to face the speaker, only to be greeted by the one and only Evermist Lucine. Evermist paid no mind to his shock, nor his embarrassment. She grabbed his hand lightly to readjust his grasp on the wooden spear.  
"Oh, uh, thanks." Evermist smiled brightly, showing off the miniature diamonds that had  _actually_ been engraved in her teeth.   
"When you're throwing a spear, you also want to bend your knee a little. Don't just stand straight," she instructed. Will followed her directions as she proceeded to tell him exactly how much power he needed to throw the spear far enough. Will attempted a small throw, not expecting much, but grinned when he realized that his spear had hit the foot of the dummy he was practicing on.   
"See? That was great! Just aim a little higher and with a little more force, and you should be able to hit somewhere in the torso." In an attempt to exchange some knowledge back to her, Will tried to find something to critique, something that would help her in the Games.  
"You might want to talk to your stylist about your hair," Will reminded her. "I mean, it looks nice and all, I'm not saying it doesn't, but it will make you easier to spot." Evermist nodded, gave Will one last smile, and ran off. 

Will watched her as she bounced to another station, only to be pulled to the side by the female District 1 mentor. The mentor scolded Evermist, most likely for helping her competition, but Evermist merely rolled her eyes. The young girl muttered something to the elder before stomping away and towards the bow and arrow station. Evermist paused once she got there, glanced at her irritated mentor, and turned her gaze back to Will. 

The dazzling smile Evermist sent his way  _definitely_ caught Will off guard. 

He offered a small smile in return, hoping and praying that Evermist wouldn't notice how his face was now tinted crimson. 

But, of course, in a dull environment, your eyes are always drawn to the brightest color.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What kind of stuff do you guys want to see in this? I already have the plot planned out, but I would love to incorporate some stuff my readers will enjoy!


End file.
